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Alt Lit
Alternative Literature or Alt Lit is a contemporary literary genre and movement defined by works of poetry and prose that are heavily influenced by internet culture created by "a population of people that are connected with one another through their interest in the online publishing world." Beginnings of Alt Lit The term Alt Lit has no single definition but is often used to refer to a social media-based creative community, loosely unified in their likes and dislikes. It is perhaps easiest to define Alt Lit as the harnessing of the possibilities the internet offers for the creation and publication of literature, and the surrounding community and culture. Certain traits have popularly characterized alt lit: self-publication and advertisement (primarily by social media), homegrown publishing houses, and the maintenance of an internet presence spanning several social networks. Others include the knowledge and referencing of popular figures associated with the community, abuse of "kiddy drugs" (notably Adderall, Xanax, and cannabis), and participation in gatherings and readings broadcast on online mediums (primarily Spreecast). The sharing of Gmail chat logs, memes, macros, screenshots, and computer-generated art are also popular. Buddhist and Taoist themes are prevalent in much alternative literature. The term seems to have been first used on a Tumblr/Twitter account named "Alt Lit Gossip" (twitter.com/litgossip). After the original accounts were deleted they were revived by Frank Hinton, at which point they began to pick up popularity. Alt Lit authors have generated controversy among traditional writers and readers. New Modernism Due to its temporal proximity, Alt Lit is often grouped with post-modernism and many other literary movements. Author Phillipe Chatelain argues in his New Modernist Manifesto: :In the New Modernism I propose, artists echo the plight and themes of the Modern and Post-Modern traditions but, through innovative lyrical styles derivative of mass media around them, they devise stark representations of the ephemeral world. These artists push the boundaries of the English language into a micro-world of sorts. A denouncement of what many call “txt-speak” and micro-media updates of the Twitter Generation renders one out-of-touch with changing times. Our generation is at the cusp of a reformation in stenography that, instead of solely trimming the English language for concision to a 140-character limit, can be the cornerstone of the written art for future generations. The social media and telecom world in which we currently live is branding a new breed of writers and artists that internalize these forms of mass production of creativity. It not only brings a new literary form to light, but it arguably changes the very substance of the art as well as its distribution. New Sincerity Some critics have linked Alt Lit with the concept of the New Sincerity, to the point of using the terms interchangeably. Notable Alt Lit writers such as Steve Roggenbuck and Tao Lin have also been grouped under the label "New Sincerity", but many alt lit writers reject the influence of David Foster Wallace and prominent mainstream exponents of a "New Sincerity" such as Jonathan Franzen. The New Sincerity connection entails the use of an array of literary techniques intended to create the impression of "sincere" communication, ranging from autobiography, self-revision and conversational tone to minimal punctuation and sans-serif fonts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alt_lit Category:Literary movements Category:21st-century works Category:Internet advertising and promotion